These Are The Special Times
by poohxebony
Summary: These are the special times for family and friends to come as one for this time of year. Inuyasha and Kagome spend Christmas with her family, and he has alittle surprise of his own. Come join the precious moments as our heroes cherish the hoiday together.
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hey there again! So sorry for a long wait for a new story by me. Christmas preparations, shopping…you get the idea. Anyway, please review and enjoy.

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own anything from the series whatsoever

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The moment had finally arrived. As soon as Kagome opened her eyes to start the day, her smiled widened from ear to ear. The realization on what the day precisely was slowly bought her half-sleep face into life; bringing a certain twinkle in her soft, chocolate brown eyes and a warm glow of her skin. Some level of excitement began to emerge inside her entire stiff body underneath the covers. She have been looking forward into this time of the year since the beginning of November, and now her anticipation can be over.

Kagome was wide awake but decided to stay in bed awhile longer, savoring the cozy, securing comfort of her blankets. Her mind went into focus on what to expect from this day as she stared at the ceiling. It was a blessing to be able to come home in her own time for this special occasion. How grateful she felt to be still alive to see this occasion, how joyous she felt to be with her ordinary family and friends, how fortunate she felt to become a normal sixteen-year-old human being again…..and to be free from the adventurous journey that her destined-or fated-double life offers her.

Kagome closed her eyes and sighed out of relief on the thought. Yes, she didn't have to worry about those things anymore. Today was not the day for sacrificing battles, constant jewel shard searching, fearing for her life being endangered by enemies everywhere she goes. More importantly, it was not the day for preparations on destroying their nemesis who changed her feudal friends' lives forever. It's been a year now since her gang traveled on this magical journey. She was sixteen now, and wanted to take every advantage on having a real Christmas this year. After all, her freedom for a normal life couldn't last forever.

Getting up, Kagome stretched and walked to the window. As she predicted, it was a descent Christmas morning. Neither the snow was as high or icy for people to walk into, nor there was a blizzard for everyone to be trapped in their homes. The snow looked so pure white and enjoyable, the flakes falling gently into the earth. Kagome's family had remodeled their entire shrine and house with various decorations. The trailing white lights would sparkle around the edges of the roof at night. Each window of her house had a single glowing candle, and there was a huge lighted wreath with a red bow hung onto their main door. Most of the temple statues were surrounded with holly, and the temple were also decorated with some lights and a smaller wreath. The only thing they didn't decorate was the Sacred Tree because they decided to leave its beauty the way it is. With the decorations bringing life and color and the snow falling gently on the earth, the Higurashi shrine seemed more tranquil and spiritual than before.

Kagome turned to look at the other side of her room and smiled. What made her spirit more content for this Christmas was the opportunity to spend it with Inuyasha. A lot had happened between the two over a year, from the moment when they first met and started their journey up until now. Aside from their obstacles, they've been closer than ever. Besides, Inuyasha never shared such a tradition with family and friends in his life, which was why (though stubbornly) agreed to come and experience the holiday, mostly for her. Kagome thought all of this as she stared at him sleeping comfortably at the corner near her door. He slept with his legs crossed, having the Tetsuaiga resting in his arms. His fuzzy white ears were calm and still by his soft breathing.

_He looks so peaceful,_ she thought, giggling. _But I have to wake him up. Today's the day!_ She then walked up to the hanyou as silently as possible and kneeling in front of him. With a soft, child-like voice, she whispered in his ear, "Inuyasha. Oh Inuyasha….." But the respond was only a grumble in his sleep, twisting the other way a little without opening his eyes. Growing impatient, Kagome now shouted in his ear as a wake up call. "MERRY CHRISTMAS!!"

That woke him up big time.

"Whoa!!" Inuyasha cried as he sprung up so fast on his feet. "Kagome!! What the hell's the big idea?! Screaming like a raging lunatic?!"

Kagome only laughed and stood up to hug him. "I'm sorry Inuyasha. I tried waking you up, but this was the only way. And it's Christmas! Merry Christmas!" Realizing that Kagome was hugging him though half-sleep, Inuyasha soon embrace her closer. His frown turned into a boyish grin.

"Uh…oh, yeah. Right back at ya. So the day finally came, huh? About time". The two broke their hug and Kagome smiled into his golden amber eyes.

"Yeah! Now let's go downstairs and say it to the rest. I can smell Mom's delicious cooking already. Let me get dressed and I'll be right out". Nodding his head, Inuyasha patiently waited for Kagome by her bed as she changed out her pajamas into some jeans and a pink sweater in the bathroom. When she came out, both left the room and headed for the stairs to meet her family in the kitchen.

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Once Kagome's family heard them coming down the stairs, her little brother, Sota, was the first one to run up and greet them. "Hey sis! Inuyasha! Merry Christmas!" He hugged them and his glowing face was just as cheerful. The holiday was also a great celebration this year, giving the thought that his role model was spending it in his own home. Sota always considered Inuyasha more like a big brother as well as a hero. "Hey Inuyasha, how about after breakfast we go out skiing down the hill? Or would you like to be my snowman model?"

Inuyasha made an awkward face, but patted Sota's head and responded, "Sure kid, we'll see. Maybe later". The three finally reached the kitchen where they met Grandpa and Kagome's mother already sitting down, enjoying their hot chocolate and warm breakfast. Grandpa looked up from his newspaper and gave them a warm welcoming smile. Kagome's mother came up and hugged both her daughter and Inuyasha.

"Merry Christmas you two. You're just in time for some hot chocolate and blueberry pancakes with some sausages. Inuyasha, you like pancakes and sausages also, right?" Kagome's mom asked with her warm-hearted smile. Inuyasha nodded.

"Mom, when do we open the presents again?" Sota asked while chowing down on his syrupy pancakes. "Can we open them after breakfast?"

Kagome's mom only giggled and said, "Now Sota, I know it's still tempting for you, but I thought we all agreed to open them later on tonight. Remember?" she asked in a somewhat hintful voice. She then gave Sota a wink. Understanding the message, Sota only smiled back and continued finishing his breakfast without saying anything.

Kagome, on the other hand, chirped, "Well I for one can't wait for the presents anyway!" she said happily. "Just the thought of unwrapping those beautiful gifts makes me still quiver. You won't believe what I got for everyone". She sat down at the table next to Grandpa with her breakfast and hot chocolate. As everyone continued eating in silence, Inuyasha was sitting at the opposite side of Kagome, next to Sota, viewing her pleasant attitude. He grinned to himself without anyone noticing. _Now that the day's here, I'll have the chance to give her my gift tonight. _He continued chewing on his sausage, waiting for the hours to tick by.

**END NOTE: **Well, I'm happy to finish this first chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it so far. The next chapter will be the last, and I promise to update that as soon as possible. Thanks for your time!


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Well, here's the last chapter. I might make more Christmas fanfics before next Friday. Thanks for your patience and enjoy

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The rest of the day were filled with mischief, fun, and laughter. As promised, Inuyasha took Sota outside after breakfast. The fresh winter air was not as seriously cold and it still snowed gently. At first, Sota convinced Inuyasha to act as a sleigh and slide them down the hill next to the long brick stairway that lead to their residential home. Being a half-demon after all, having his body slide against the cold ground didn't affect him. He also ended up being Sota's snowman model anyway, posing a dog sitting position. Although he made a disgusted face at his crumbled looking snow reflection by Sota's work, he shrugged it off and left it alone for the boy.

Meanwhile, Kagome needed Inuyasha to take her to her friends' houses for exchanging gifts. Getting around the neighborhoods was not a dilemma for him; he carried her from rooftop to rooftop by blinding speed and ease, without being noticed. They first went to Ayumi's place. Both girls exchanged gifts and hug while Inuyasha waited, hiding on top of the roof. Kagome gave Ayumi a sweater that she've always wanted from the mall, and Ayumi gave her new winter boots. Next, they reached Eri's; Eri received a perfume set and gift certificate to her favorite restaurant, and Kagome received earrings and a gift card to her book store. As for Yuka, she had a shirt and charm bracelet and Kagome had a new pair of jeans and tea set for her collection in her room. Once everyone said their farewells, her and Inuyasha headed back home.

Kagome woke up from a two hour nap later that afternoon, being exhausted from traveling around in the morning. She headed downstairs to see what everyone else were up to. No one was in the living room so she went into the kitchen, only to find Sota sitting at the table alone eating a snack. "Sota, where's everybody?" she asked.

"Oh, um, hey sis. Mom and Grandpa wanted to decorate one last thing outside and needed Inuyasha's help as well" Sota replied.

"Oh. Well, I'll come out too. Maybe they could use more help and-"

"Oh no, no!" Sota cried as he stood up from his seat and walked over to his sister. Kagome stopped and eyed him suspiciously. Sota kept his composure and replied in a calmer tone, "It's alright Kagome. Mom knew that you've taken a nap and told me to tell you not to worry over helping out for anything else when you wake up. She and Grandpa would be fine on their own. Besides, what's the point of helping when they have Inuyasha's strength for heavy lifting and climbing. Am I wrong?" Sota then let out a little nervous laugh. Kagome quirked an eyebrow, but then thought about what he just said and realized he was right. To be honest, she didn't felt like putting up more outside decorations anyway since she was still tired from her nap.

"Whatever. I'll be upstairs relaxing in my room until dinnertime". She shrugged and went back upstairs. _What they're really doing outside, I wonder,_ she thought.

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Evening finally came. The family gathered around in the living room by the Christmas tree after dinner. Everyone wore regular clothes, but Kagome was dressed more formally. She wore a beautiful red turtle neck with a tiny diamond angel pin at the right side of her shirt, a short velvet black skirt that went a little above her knees, some black stockings, and black heels. Her wavy black hair was pinned into an elegant bun, having two streaks hanging loosely by her eyes. Lastly, she wore some lip gloss and the dangling earrings that Eri gave her. In truth of all this, Inuyasha was the one who suggested Kagome should dress up since he wanted her to look special for the night. Even though he still wore his red hakama pants and fire rat coat.

Excitement and laughter erupted in the room as everyone opened their presents. Ms. Higurashi received a lovely earring and necklace set from her daughter and Inuyasha, and a scarf set from Sota and Grandpa. Grandpa received a demons' hand that Inuyasha defeated last month, purified by Miroku of course, as a part of his bizarre souvenir collection. He also had new house shoes and a robe from Sota and Mrs. Higurashi. Sota was thrilled to have a new videogame for his Playstation 2 from Kagome and his mom, and a gift card to his favorite comic book store from Grandpa.

And Kagome received a new CD player from her mother, some new Cds from Sota, and a sky blue sweater from Grandpa. The only presents that were not open were the ones for the Inu gang back in the feudal era. Kagome bought Miroku a wallet for his yen coins, a bath and perfume set and lovely red kimono dress for Sango, a tricycle for Shippo, and a Santa hat for Kilala. Although Christmas would be over by the time she came back, she promised to give them their gifts regardless.

Just as it seemed the celebration was finished, Kagome picked up one more item from underneath the tree and walked to Inuyasha. She handed him an unusually shaped wrapped gift. "This is for you", she said smiling. Inuyasha's eyes widened a little by surprise, yet curious to know what the weird looking present could be.

"Inuyasha, since this is your first Christmas with us, we wanted to make sure that this holiday would be a memorable one for you" Mrs. Higurashi explained. "We defiantly wasn't going to leave you empty handed, for you're part of the family now". With one swift movement, he easily slashed the wrapping paper with his claw and was amazed by what he had. It was a medium size golden trophy, professional hand-made by Grandpa, that was written in fine print at the bottom: _**To Inuyasha, World's Bravest Hero With A Human Heart**_. The hanyou couldn't take his eyes off his prized possession. He felt a small warmth inside of him, and looked up at the family with calm but thankful eyes.

This trophy not only symbolize your courage and effort on what you do everyday, but your heart as a good person", Grandpa stated. "This goes to show that we truly accept you for who you are, inside and out".

"That's right Inuyasha." Sota came up and pat him on the back. "No matter what, you'll always be a hero to me". Everyone else kept smiling. Inuyasha couldn't help but give a shyful grin while turning his head to hide some embarrassment.

"Thanks you guys. No one has ever given me anything in my life, especially a trophy. I didn't even expect a present from you all. But now, it's my turn to give out my present. Kagome, we're going have to blindfold you." As soon as he said that, Kagome's smile was quickly replaced into a confused expression.

"What do you mean blindfold? What's-"

He silenced her with his hand held up and made a sly grin. "There's a surprise outside". Ms. Higurashi blindfold Kagome with a handkerchief and handed her coat. Inuyasha then took her hands and carefully walked her to the door. As they walked, Kagome's mind was filled with questions and curiosity. _What's outside? What's he up to now?_ Finally, they stopped at a familiar spot outside. Unwrapping the handkerchief, Inuyasha whispered in her ear, "Okay. Open your eyes now". Once Kagome opened them, her heart practically skipped a beat. She couldn't believe what she had seen.

It was the Sacred Tree, only it didn't appear the way it always looked. It was covered with hundreds of clear Christmas lights, wrapped around the leaves as the twinkled like diamonds. On the snowy ground, little leaves of holly were lined up around the tree trunk. One of the tree leaves had a mistletoe hung above where Inuyasha and Kagome were standing. And on the ground was Kagome's mini stereo by the tree. Kagome's eyes hardly blinked, for she was afraid that this magical moment would disappear if she did. She wondered if this was a dream, yet the gorgeous image seemed so real in front of her. Finally able to speak, she turned to meet his soft golden eyes. "So…. this is what you guys were working on outside…." she said, her voice trailing off speechlessly. "Oh Inuyasha….I…I don't know what to say but…"

Before Kagome could finish, Inuyasha walked over to the stereo and turned on the music. It was a soft, jazzy version of Have Yourself A Merry Christmas, one of her favorite songs. Inuyasha then walked over to her with the same sly grin and took her right hand while wrapping his arm around her waist. The two started a slow, circular motion of dancing. This throw Kagome off even more. "Since when you know how to slow dance?", she asked with a impressed expression.

Inuyasha snorted. "Hmph. Well, I had to use some other woman as a substitute to teach me, thanks to your mom. I sure as hell wasn't going to try it with your grandpa or the kid". Kagome giggled and placed her head on his hard chest. They danced silently for a short time until Inuyasha whispered, "Well, I hope you like this. Guess what I'm trying to say is…I do love you Kagome".

Kagome's eyes began to fill with tears of joy after hearing those words. "Inuyasha….." she responded breathless. "I always have, and always will". Their Christmas dance seemed endless as they gazed into each other's eyes. Kagome closed her eyes again, still praying that this moment was not a dream. Even if it was, it was a dream that she never wanted to wake up to. Of all the times when she felt either weak or helpless, right then and there, she felt just as strong and complete next to her main reason. Whether her new life was destiny or fate, it made no difference on how blessed she became. Destiny and fate may play a dangerous role, but it also can play a powerful and beautiful one for most people, to evolve them into stronger individuals. Kagome finally concluded this, embracing Inuyasha tighter. Whatever the future brings for her and her Inu gang, she wouldn't ask for any other life than the one she has grown to love now

_Thank you, _she said to herself. _After everything that happened today, I see that my most precious gift is to have Inuyasha. That alone is the greatest gift of all._ Suddenly, snow began falling gently from the sky. Inside the house, the family watched the lovers dance from the window. Ms. Higurashi and Grandpa smiled at each other, relieved to see them so happy together. Even Sota, although too young to understand, felt the same way for his sister and hero.

Time stood still on the glorious Christmas night. And the two lovers kissed underneath the stars.

**THE END**

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**END NOTE: **Well, I finally finish my work. I really hope you all enjoyed the story. I'll be making more fanfics to a website near you. Please, please send me your thoughts and opinions. Until next time, and Happy Holidays! J


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